Almost every day, headlines remind us of the real threats and costs of cyberattacks. In just a three-day span it was reported that “Foreign hackers breached a US nuclear weapons plant via SharePoint flaws” and “Jaguar Land Rover hack cost UK economy an estimated $2.5 billion, report says.”
Increasingly common stories like these underscore the importance of building and sustaining a diverse ecosystem dedicated to developing resilient, secure systems that protect critical infrastructure.
The University of Pittsburgh has launched an effort to build such an ecosystem. Pitt’s Cyber Energy Center and Pitt Cyber will host a luncheon titled “Cyber Risk in Context” on November 7, from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m., in Benedum Hall as part of its ongoing mission to keep critical infrastructure safe from cyberattacks.
This past August, the Cyber Energy Center and Pitt Cyber hosted a kick-off workshop to assess the state of cybersecurity through a transdisciplinary lens. The event attracted nearly 50 leaders in government, academia, and industry to explore the current state of cybersecurity and the challenges and opportunities of keeping infrastructure more resilient and safer from attack.
The “Cyber Risk in Context” luncheon builds upon this momentum. Leaders from across the region will convene to discuss developments, share new research and insights, and plan next steps.
“A theme from our August workshop was the pace at which technology is enabling bad actors to find new ways to attack critical infrastructure,” said Erica Owen, associate professor in Pitt’s School of Public and International Affairs. “These evolving threats require a sustained, collaborative, and urgent effort.”
“We’re excited to continue this initiative that we kicked off this past summer,” said Daniel Cole, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Director of the Cyber Energy Center. “Through events like this one, we hope to build and strengthen connections across government, industry, and academia to meet this challenge.”
The “Cyber Risk in Context” luncheon is free but limited to the first 40 registrants. To ensure a spot, RSVP today.
